Housing in Southern Africa August 2016

Infrastructure & Mixed Use

Multi-million electrification programme The City of Johannesburg’s multi-million rand electrification programme has provided more than 12 850 homes in informal settlements with power over the past financial year with more being switched on in the coming months as the programme gathers pace.

C urrently there are more than 181 informal settlements with- in the city’s boundary and an estimated 180 000 households with a combined population of over 500 000 people. Statistics reveal that the country’s powerhouse of economic activity attracts 10 000migrants every month they arrive from around the continent and the country looking for better economic opportunities. Providing basic services such as elec- tricity, water, sanitation and refuse removal as well as housing, roads and infrastructure, is a challenge for the municipality. According to Xolani Lembede, Act- ingEngineeringDirector at CityPower, the city’s electric utility, informal settlements account for 13%of power losses in Johannesburg as a result of illegal electricity connections. As part of a bigger picture to for- malise informal settlements, the city has installed independent power grids that use an energy hybrid mix of solar power and gas stoves at Setjwetla near Alexandra. So far the city will spend R60 million providing 2600homeswithenergy. At Thembeli- hle informal settlement near Lenasia, the city recently spent R90 million connecting 7 000 homes to prepaid electricity and hybrid power. At the Lawley Station informal settlement it cost R79 million to provide 2 000 homes with electricity. This is in addition to electrification of human settlements and develop- ments including Lehae, Lufhereng,

informal settlements. According to Johannesburg ExecutiveMayor, Parks Tau, the electrification of informal settlements is aimed at achieving three key objectives: to stop unneces- sary electrocutions, restore people’s dignity and to regularise power sup- ply, which prevents the loss of rev- enue caused by illegal connections. City Power Managing Director, Sicelo Xulu, adds that the electrification programme will help to reduce illegal electricity connections and assist in preventing load-shedding. ■

Fleurhof, Tshepisong West, Devland Extension, Elias Motsoaledi Phase 1 andNarens Farm, whichhave beenon the grid for the past five years. Recently 2 292 homes in the Protea South informal settlement in Soweto were provided by power under the Eskom Electrification Programme. The City of Johannesburg Mayoral CommitteeMember for Finance, Geof- frey Makhubo recently announced that part of City Power’s capital bud- get of R3,9 billion would be used to continue with the electrification of

August 2016